1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data collection device, and more particularly to an optical imaging data collection device.
2. Technical Background
“Transaction terminals” of the type having a data collection input and display capabilities for attachment to a point-of-sale (POS) network are growing in popularity. Unfortunately, currently available transaction terminals have been observed to exhibit numerous limitations.
Transaction terminals may also serve as “price verifier.” Price checkers are typically unattended terminals dispersed throughout a store that allow customers to scan a barcode attached to an item. The price checker then displays the cost of the item. Price checkers improve the efficiency of retail operations by reducing the need for employees to answer pricing questions. Current price checking terminals do not provide an easy means of identification as to their location and function without additional signage. Thus, there is a need to increase the awareness on the part of customers to the presence of price checkers.
Additionally, transaction terminals that employ an optical reader using imaging technology to decode an optical image have the inherent limitation that there is a “dead zone” region immediately in front of the optical reader in which the optical reader cannot capture an image for decoding. Similarly, some optical reader employing a scanning laser engine also have a dead zone in which the optical reader cannot extract information from a coded image. Placing a coded image, such as, for example a barcode, in the dead zone results in an unsuccessful attempt to decode the image. If the user is unaware of the existence of the dead zone, they may repeatedly attempt unsuccessfully scan the coded image. When the user is a customer this may lead to frustration and lost sales. If the user is a sales clerk these repeated scanning attempts result in reduced efficiency. Even training a user about the operation limitations of the dead zone may be inefficient as the dead zone will vary with from optical reader to optical reader.
Thus, there is a need to provide a transaction terminal that is easy to operate and prevents a user from attempting to scan coded images in the dead zone of the optical reader.